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TIL Using Biofuel For A Sustainable Future

Nov 11, 2016

Exciting progress by Z Energy a customer and supplier to TIL Group

Article courtesy of DIESELtalk - www.dieseltalk.co.nz

Te Kora Hou is the name of New Zealand's first commercial biofuel plant. Based in Manukau City, South Auckland, it is gearing up to produce more than 20 million litres of B100 biofuel annually for customers of Z Energy.

"Our hope is to get more than enough uptake from customers so we can double the plant's production output, which it is capable of doing very quickly and cost effectively," says Z Energy sustainability manager Emily Watt.

In 2017, Z Energy will begin a major roll-out of its Z Bio D (B5) product across Z truck stops and retail sites throughout the upper North Island region, encapsulating part of Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Thames Valley, the Bay of Plenty, and parts of the King Country and Taranaki.

Z Energy says the project is a $26 million dollar gamble on whether Kiwis care enough, companies that have jumped on board to support the Z Bio D (B5) project include Fonterra, TIL Freight, New Zealand Post, North Fuels, Fulton Hogan, and Downer.

Z Energy says these supporters are prepared to pay a small premium to take their little steps to reduce emissions, but the energy supplier admits it would have struggled to get Te Kora Hou off the ground without them. Te Kora Hou will use 13% of New Zealand's inedible tallow production, rather than seeing it exported for candle manufacture overseas. And Z Energy anticipates the opportunity to use more of this locally sourced product should demand require it.

Z Energy says it built New Zealand's first large-scale biodiesel plant, "Because countries such as us make up 30% of global emissions, with NZ making up 0.16%. Commercial thinking requires us to view climate change as an opportunity rather than a threat."

To put that 37,000 tonnes into context, it is the equivalent of C02 emissions from nearly 17,000 medium- sized diesel cars, or a traffic jam stretching from Taupo to Rotorua!